Gifts in Your Will

Designating a gift to WCS Canada in your will is a great way to leave a legacy, stand for wildlife, and help ensure Canada’s wildlife continues to thrive in healthy lands and waters for generations to come. It is also a strategic way to reduce the taxes owed on your estate. Upon receipt of your gift by WCS Canada, your estate will receive a tax receipt that can be applied to the income on your final tax return.

Choosing to support WCS Canada in your will can reduce, and in some cases, even eliminate the taxes to be paid. You can support the cause near and dear to you without impacting the legacy your family and loved ones receive.

Benefits to You:

Convenience: A legacy gift in your will can be made no matter your age and for any amount.

Simplicity: Leaving a gift to WCS Canada in your estate can be as easy as adding a clause to your will. Notify your lawyer or notary and they can take care of adding it in.

Affordability: Most charitable gifts in wills are left by donors of average means. Leaving a small percentage of your estate to WCS Canada can be your largest gift to support wildlife and will have a bigger impact than most of us would ever be able to make during our lifetime! Legacy gifts of any size are welcome, appreciated, and will be recognized by membership in the Northern Lights Circle.

Tax Relief: Canada has world-class tax incentives for those who give to charity through their estate. A legacy gift in your will is a highly effective way to reduce estate taxes.

Tax Planning: WCS Canada will issue a charitable tax receipt for the full value of your bequest, reducing the tax payable on your final return. If your bequest exceeds 100 percent of your net income, the excess may be carried back to the previous tax year or taken forward as part of a graduated rate estate plan.

Peace of Mind: You can change your will at any time.

Satisfaction: Legacy gifts are made for personal reasons while ensuring that WCS Canada can continue to develop solutions to protect Canada’s most vulnerable wildlife and their habitats, address climate change and help shape policies and conservation action rooted in science. Involve your loved ones in your decision. Make it about celebrating who you are, the values you hold, and the life you lead. Your bequest can create a lasting memorial for you, your family or anyone you may wish to honour.

Your bequest to WCS Canada may be one, or a combination, of the following:

  • A percentage of your estate
  • The residual of the estate
  • A specific dollar amount
  • Real estate
  • Stocks and securities
  • Insurance policies and annuities.

The drafting of a will should be arranged with the involvement of legal counsel. It is preferable that you allow for the broadest possible flexibility for determining how your gift should be used by WCS Canada while at the same time ensuring that we can carry out your wishes.

Sample Bequest Wording

“To pay WCS Wildlife Conservation Society Canada ___% of the residue of my estate [or the sum of $___________], for the purpose of supporting its highest priority needs”

Our Legal Name

The name you should include in your will to make a bequest is “WCS Wildlife Conservation Society Canada”. 

Charitable Business Number: 85425 5882 RR0001

For more information on leaving a legacy gift of any kind, contact Forough Shafiei, Fundraising Manager at supportwcscanada@wcs.org.

All information on this page is general in nature, does not constitute legal or financial advice, and should not be relied upon as a substitute for professional advice. We strongly encourage you to seek professional legal, estate planning and/or financial advice before deciding on your course of action.